Jeff Miller: Sloan Gibson doing ‘great job’ at VA

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller on Monday said acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson is doing a “great job,” but that a full-time replacement should come from outside the department.

When asked whether a permanent replacement for VA secretary should come from within the VA, the Florida Republican said: “I honestly think it needs to come from outside the VA. Sloan Gibson is doing a great job right now as the interim. He’s only been in the job for about a week. He’s only been at the VA for about three months. He’s got the capability and certainly has the attitude, I think, to get in and reshape this culture that’s within the system.”

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President Barack Obama appointed Gibson to serve as acting VA secretary May 30 following Eric Shinseki’s decision to step down from the position. The president accepted Shinseki’s resignation after a VA inspector general review said that the problems within the department were “systemic.” The IG findings came after reports that at least 40 veterans may have died while waiting for health care in the Phoenix VA system.

Miller, appearing on CNN’s “New Day,” said the White House is looking at several candidates for the top job.

“The White House is looking for the right person to put in that position,” he said. “Toby Cosgrove would have been a great choice, but the Cleveland Clinic obviously is taking up a lot of his time. So, there are a lot of candidates out there that I’m sure the White House is going through the vetting process on.”

Cosgrove, CEO of the Cleveland Clinic and presumed to be a leading candidate for the post, withdrew his consideration for the job over the weekend.

Miller, whose committee will hold a hearing Monday evening at 7:30 p.m., insisted that reforms he is pursuing — including allowing veterans to seek care outside the VA system — aren’t aimed at crippling the department. “We’re not trying to take VA and strip it down,” he said, noting that there are many things that the department does “very, very well.”